Forbes is reporting that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is the highest paid man in Hollywood today and the internet’s collective response was, “no shit.” The outlet noted that the actor/producer/7-time WWE Champion/national treasure pocketed $124 million dollars last year to the surprise of absolutely no one, given that almost every film Johnson stars in crushes it at the box office.
Seriously, every project and franchise he attaches himself too sees an immediate increase in potential profits and basic social importance. And any media event he attends becomes a newsworthy event. He even started his own production company because none of the other ones could keep pace with his schedule. Really, all Forbes did was quantify something we all already knew.
But rather than brag about his accomplishments, the ever humble “People’s Champion” notes that his success is due to the, well, people. Johnson, in a comment to Forbes, cited social media and his legion of followers as the driving force behind all his success.
“Social media has become the most critical element of marketing a move for me. I have established a social media equity with an audience around the world that there’s a value in what I’m delivering to them.”
Of course, it’s cliché to talk about the importance of social media in 2018. It commands frightening power over our collective social awareness, but Johnson’s story is an example of how this power can be used positively. The actor, yes, has an army of Twitter and Instagram followers that he’s used to promote his projects and build a genuine empire in Hollywood, but he also uses that platform to make the world around him just a little bit better. The Rock constantly champions charities, fiercely encourages fans and followers in their personal labors and struggles, and, simply, proves that he’s a decent man in an indecent time.
Dwayne Johnson is one of the few celebrities in the world that’s a genuine role model and a big congratulations to him for now conquering Hollywood.
